What's on tap at Birch & Barley and ChurchKey

By
Fritz Hahn

So, as you may have read in today's chat, the long-awaited beer bar Birch & Barley and ChurchKey opens tonight. (The dual name refers to the two floors with different food and themes.) B&B&C has been promising 50 draft beers, five traditional-style cask ales and 500 different bottled selections. And they'll have them all ... tomorrow.

Because a bar opening, like the course of true love, never runs smooth, none of the bottled beers will be available tonight. (They haven't all been entered into the inventory yet.) Instead, customers will be forced to choose from only 55 different beers on tap and on cask.

And honestly, looking at this beer list, my mouth is watering already. It's divided into "Crisp," "Hop," "Malt," "Roast," "Smoke" and "Fruit and Spice" sections to help customers navigate the numerous options. It's then sliced into even thinner categories with more descriptors.

The full beer list after the jump for your enjoyment, listing the producer, style and origin, plus the alcohol content. Scroll to the end to see the cask beers. And remember -- it's opening night, so be patient.

-- Fritz Hahn

Update: I just received a text from a friend: "Haha guess what's NOT open at 5pm?"

Apparently the announced 5 p.m. opening time has been pushed back to 5:30.

Except I really don't think they are competing with Fredricksburg Alehouses. I think they might have their sights on other DC beer bars [RFD, Brickskeller, Biera Paradiso]. Sounds like an amazing beer lineup to me, even though I didn't see any of my favorite brewers beers in there (Dogfish Head). My mouth is definitely watering after reading that list.

Do I sound like a spoiled brat for wanting a nice, drinkable PINT of cask ale? To me, the whole point of the process is to be able to enjoy a local, mild - or strong - ale. I don't need ridiculous oak barrels or tripel aging in 4 oz. tastings. Could they not get a deal with Clipper City, Victory or Dogfish (75 min) to supply some barrels?